Footprints in the sands of time
by angelandbolt
Summary: Vince ends up spilling water from the fountain of youth over himself and turns into a one year old baby. Howard is left to look after the mischievous little tyke. How will he cope? read and find out :D
1. no way

Footprints in the Sands of Time.

It was the early hours of Sunday morning; Naboo and Bollo were away on a shamanistic trip, Vince and Howard were sleeping and the moon was shining strongly in the sky. Suddenly the door to Vince's bedroom silently opened and a thin silhouette appeared and slowly walked across the hall and into Naboo's room. Howard did not hear the younger man sleepwalk into the spare room. The sleeping man walked aimlessly around Naboo's bedroom for a while before accidentally knocking into some shelves, falling to the floor and miraculously staying asleep. Potions shook and wobbled on the shelf and eventually one fell off the shelf and the contents landed on Vince's head. The empty bottle fell to the floor and the label read "fountain of youth water".

Morning came and Howard woke up and went to wake up Vince. After entering Vince's room and seeing Vince clearly wasn't in there he went around the house looking for the younger man. He looked in every other room and eventually entered Naboo's room where he saw a giant pile of Vince's clothes and sitting in the middle was a little one year old Vince.

Howard noticed the bottle, picked it up and read the label.

"No, way" he said shaking his head "no, bloody way am I changing that little tits nappies"

Vince just sat in the middle of the floor grabbing at his toes and smiling mischievously.

A lot of things went swarming around Howard's head like a group of angry bees in two seconds but eventually his mind settled on the fact there was no way out of this for a while anyway.

He looked at the baby which was incredibly thin.

"First I'm feeding you, and then I am getting u proper clothes." He said to the one year old

He walked into the kitchen and then realised he had nothing to feed the little child.

He walked back into Naboo's room and lifted the baby. Vince giggled and put his scrawny arms into the air in delight. Howard carried the boy into his room and set Vince down on his now giant bed.

"What am I going to do?" Howard asked himself. The last thing he looked after was his friend's hamster and it died a week later.

Vince was playing peek-a-boo with his electric blue blanket and giggling at himself, he sure was a happy baby.


	2. Vincey Likey

Howard suddenly remembered there was a buggy downstairs that was meant to be for sale.

He ran downstairs and thought about whether he should remove the price tag or not. He hated to admit it but Vince was right, they could rarely sell marbles let alone a buggy.

He had just pulled the for sale tag off the buggy when he heard an almighty _thud_ above his head shortly followed by a half screaming, half crying sound from Vince.

"Vince!" Howard yelled "I left him on his bed!"

Howard ran up to Vince's bedroom and found Vince lying on the floor not crying as much but he was pouting as well and his deep blue eyes had tears in them which made the sunlight glisten on his eyes. "Don't worry little man" he said lifting the baby up and patted his back.

He calmed Vince down until the deep breaths were calm except for when he stopped to take a deep breath in. He wrapped Vince in his blue blanket, carried him down to the buggy and gently sat him into the seat. His feet kicked a bit but he calmed down and looked around. He pushed the buggy down the street but soon Vince tried to climb out but the blanket was tightly wrapped around him so he had no chance. Once they got to the first shop Howard lifted a little blue t-shirt with a penguin on it. He showed it to Vince and Vince started to cry. "Not like it?" Howard said sarcastically

"No no no!" Vince yelled screaming while everyone in the shop looked at him

"Wow, okay, you don't like it!" Howard said setting it back on the rack.

"What about... This" Howard said picking out an orange woollen jumper and looking round but amazingly Vince was fast asleep.

"Penguin it is then" Howard said lifting the penguin shirt up again with a giant grin on his face

He went around the shop picking out various items such as trousers, shoes, socks, nappies, coats, pyjamas and bibs. He found golden shoes that looked like Vince's high heel boots except that they had no heel so he treated Vince to them. While Vince was sleeping he dressed him in the penguin outfit for fun. When he had finished he paid and walked out into the street. By this time it was three o'clock and Vince was still fast asleep. A woman walked up to Howard and stared at Vince.

"Is he your child?" she asked looking in adoration at the sleeping baby's content face

"Yes, he is" Howard said but as he said this Vince's eyes opened and he started to whimper.

"Why, hello there young man." She cooed at the baby

Vince gave a huge smile " 'ello!" Vince said and waved his hands.

"Aren't you just adorable!" she said wiggling her finger in his face

Vince smiled and wiggled his fingers back.

"What's your name mister?" she asked affectionately tapping his nose

Vince looked at Howard as if for approval and then happily said "Vincey!"

Howard almost burst out laughing real Vince would never call himself "Vincey"

"I have to go know honey." She said stroking his little strands of black hair.

"Bye byeeee" Vince said waving

They went home in silence except from the occasional babbling from Vince but Howard realised he had forgotten baby food so he had to turn straight round and go to the corner shop. They went in and the jars all had different flavours and Howard showed him one that was rice flavoured. Vince screwed his face up and said "Yeeyuck."

"Well what do you like then?" Howard said getting impatient

Vince pointed to two jars, one read "custard" and the other read "apple"

"Just the sweet stuff?" Howard said

"yeya!" Vince said

So Howard bought six of each and they headed home.

Once they entered the shop Howard let Vince out of the buggy and set him on his feet but Vince just fell to the floor and started crawling. He started crawling up the stairs but in a way that a really slow puppy would do. Howard put the buggy back in the shop and went to go find Vince who was now half way up the stairs. Howard carried him up the rest and slowly followed Vince into his bedroom.

Vince could not see most of the stuff that is in his room such as the amount of paper on his desk or the amount of unwanted clothes falling off the racks in his cupboards. The one thing Vince could see was his faithful mirror. He saw what he was wearing, the penguin t-shirt, black skinny jeans and those gold pointy shoes.

"Vincey likey!" Vince said clapping his hands with joy

While Howard just laughed, maybe this wouldn't be so bad, for now anyway.


	3. enough is enough

It was around 5 o'clock and Vince started to chew on his fingers.

"You hungry little man?" Howard asked lifting the boy up into his arms.

Vince nodded his head and Howard carried him into the kitchen and set him on the sofa.

"You're getting apple, okay?" Howard said

Vince nodded his head in approval and waited until a little blue dish was set in front of him with what looked like mush.

He started to lift it with his hands but Howard soon stopped him and handed the boy a spoon. He started to eat it happily not leaving much of a mess behind but as soon as Howard turned round Vince's mischievous little smile came back and he made a catapult out of the spoon and happily propelled the mush across the room and it hit Howard perfectly on the back of his head.

Vince giggled and Howard took the food away from Vince.

"Are you going to eat it?" Howard questioned him

"No!" Vince said stubbornly

"Fine then!" Howard said raising his voice and putting his food into the bin

Vince crawled off and played until about 7 o'clock. By that time Howard had calmed down and was getting ready to put Vince's pyjamas on.

"Vince, come here!" Howard called looking around, a minute later Vince crawled through the door.

Howard put Vince's pyjamas on the baby; they were blue with little cars on them.

Vince fell asleep on Howard's lap; he was a very small baby, extremely small.

He carried Vince into his bedroom and lay him on the floor surrounded by pillows.

Vince's normal bed would be far too high for the baby. Howard was knackered so decided to sit down and watch t.v. for a while. His favourite jazz musician was coming on in half an hour so while he was waiting he decided to look to see what channels Vince could watch for a while. Dora was too advanced he decided, if he can't speak English what chance in hell does he have of learning Spanish, blue's clues was just weird but the teletubbies spoke the same sort language as Vince, gibberish with an occasional English word or two. He realised the time and changed the channel getting ready to watch his jazz. His programme was just about to come on when Vince started crying.

"What could you possibly want?" Howard said to himself as he walked into Vince's room

"What's up?" Howard said looking for possible signs that would cause him to cry. After looking for a while it finally clicked in his brain. "Not the nappy." He said

Vince started to giggle as if he enjoyed Howard's pain.

Howard changed Vince's nappy holding his breath of course. Once finished he nursed Vince back to sleep, then he went to the phone mumbling "This is getting too hard."

He picked up the phone and carefully dialled Naboo's mobile number.

"Hello?" Naboo mumbled answering his call

"Naboo help" Howard said trying to find a way to explain what had happened

"Shit, Howard what have you done?" Naboo asked panicking

"It wasn't me, it was Vince, he sleepwalked into your room and..." Howard said quickly

"Wait, sleepwalked?" Naboo said

"Yes, and now he is one year old!" Howard said

"That water cost me a lot of money..." Naboo said

"How do we fix Vince!" Howard yelled

"It's easy but I can't get home for a while yet." Naboo said

"When?" Howard said

"Next week." Naboo said apologetically

"okay" Howard said

"Send me a picture of him through your mobile." Naboo said

"okay" Howard said getting his mobile and taking a picture of the sleeping child.

He sent it to Naboo and he showed it to some of his mates. Vince sure was a cute baby, especially with his blue puppy dog eyes


	4. Hayad

It was 3 o'clock in the morning before Howard went to bed. He had stayed awake just to make sure Vince stayed asleep.

All that was on t.v by now was teleshopping so he was getting bored and his eyelids were getting heavier, heavier and heavier. So he trudged into bed and his eyes had just shut when he heard the tiniest noise, a little whimper coming from Vince's room. He listened for a while just to see if anything would come of it, after a while he fell asleep stirring every now and then.

4:30 am: Vince woke up and crawled quietly into Howard's room, he silently clambered up his bed and right up beside his head. "Hayad." Vince mumbled softly a tear slowly dripped down his bony cheek.

"Wha, wha, what?" Howard woke up to see Vince's small face, his lip pouted, his big blue eyes glistening with tears against the pale moonlight.

"Hayad." Vince whispered struggling to pronounce the older man's name.

"Whats up little man?" Howard said his eyes still adjusting to the dim light

"Ish cold." He said trembling

Howard was almost positive he had left enough blankets but anyway he got up and shuffled into Vince's room, his feet hating every step onto the wooden floor which was as cold as ice.

It was dark in Vince's room as it was in all rooms but the moon was in full view, the window was slightly open and the silhouette of a fox on the fence was making Howard feel very insecure. Howard shut Vince's window and walked back into his own room where Vince was curled up into a ball on Howard's pillow. Howard tried to gently move Vince but every time he touched Vince the baby batted at Howard occasionally scrabbing him.

So Howard went into the living room and lifted a pillow, after shuffling back in, he lay upside down and fell into a deep sleep. At 8 o clock Vince woke, rolled over and fell off the bed, thankfully he didn't hurt himself but he did make a loud enough noise to waken Howard.

"Vince?" the older man said rubbing his eyes due to his sudden awakening.

"Hayad" Vince mumbled with an "I got caught" sort of expression

"Where are you off to?" Howard asked standing up

"out" Vince said crawling off and into the living room.

"Come back!" Howard said walking over to where Vince was

"Where about are you going to be" he asked

"TV" he said crawling off again

"Look at this" Howard said lifting the remote and putting on the teletubbies

He almost said "They talk rubbish, just like you" but caught himself first

Vince sat on the rug sucking on his toes and watching them sort of hypnotised in their coloured antics.

Howard went into the kitchen to start working on breakfast.

"scuirl" Vince babbled "pwetty, scuirl"

There was a little red squirrel on the window sill scratching in to get the food.

"Want brekfasht" Vince said standing on some books, he used all his strength to open the window so that the squirrel could climb in, which it did.

"Hayad, scuirl." He said clapping his hands as the squirrel ran around the room like a nut.

The squirrel lifted the wire on the electric box and was just about to sink his teeth into it when...


	5. Pawk!

"HAYAD!" Vince screeched looking at the squirrel. The squirrel stopped in confusion, the screech had been so loud that the squirrel's brain had stopped responding.

Howard turned round and saw the squirrel, lifted a jar and walked over.

"Vince, stay back, I'm going to catch it." Howard said

"no, huwt it!" Vince said wondering whether to suck his toes again or not.

While the squirrel was standing still, bits of its brain probably leaking out its ear, Howard put it in the jar with great ease, he put the lid on and set it on the floor.

"Vince, come on your breakfast is ready." Howard said walking back to kitchen as if the squirrel wasn't there.

"but scuirl" Vince interrupted

"Come and eat and I'll tell you what we shall do today" Vince crawled over and Howard helped him into his seat.

Vince was eating porridge but Howard had put a little drop of honey in knowing Vince only eats the sweet stuff.

More of the porridge was over his face and fingers than on the spoon.

"Where we gowin" Vince asked sticking more fingers into his breakfast.

"We are going to take the squirrel to the park and set it free." Howard said taking another bite of toast.

"Scuirl pawk." Vince said clapping his hands spreading porridge all over the other hand.

"If the weather is nice we might stay there for a while and you can play, there are swings and slides there."

"PAWK PAWK PAWK!" Vince yelled forgetting all about the squirrel which had passed out in the jar.

Once they had finished breakfast, Vince was dressed they were ready to go to the park

Once they arrived:

"Shwings now?" Vince asked almost throwing himself out of his pram

"Squirrel first." Howard said

He lifted the squirrel out of the jar (which had holes punched in it for air)

He set it on the ground and it shook and then legged it into the trees.

Vince looked at Howard and stalled for a second

"Shwings?" Vince said with a mischievous little giggle.

"Okay." Howard said looking at his watch " 10:15" he said thinking "this should only take ten minutes."

Howard pushed Vince's pram into the swing park and Vince's face lit up with joy

Howard lifted Vince out of his buggy and set him in the babies swing.

"pushc!" Vince said, his hands clapping in delight. Howard pushed Vince just a little bit to make sure that he didn't hurt him or that he didn't fall out. After the first couple of pushes Vince turned round and looked at Howard "fashter" Vince said trying to keep a straight face and not let giggles escape. So Howard reluctantly pushed Vince higher.

A couple of minutes went past until Vince said "fashter" but Howard decided to change the subject. "Vince look" Howard said hoping it would work "there's a slide over there"

Vince saw the slide then saw the van beside it. Vince looked at Howard with a cheeky grin.

"Ish ceem" Vince laughed

"Ice cream?" Howard lasked checking he had heard Vince right.

"Yesh, ish ceem" Vince said giggling

"Okay then" Howard said lifting Vince out of the swing and carrying him over to the ice cream van. He bought Vince an ice cream and set him on the bench beside him.

Vince licked the ice cream for a while silently enjoying its taste. Howard just watched him in total adoration. Everything about Vince seemed to be perfect. From his big blue eyes and lush black hair to his tiny delicate toes, his cheery little smile and the fact there was ice cream on his nose.

"Hayad." Vince said but Howard was so busy thinking that he didn't hear him. "Hayad?" still nothing. "Hayad" Vince tried changing the pitch of his voice to get Howards attention.

"Hayad,Hayad,Hayad...Hayad?"

"oh sorry Vince, what's wrong?" Howard asked suddenly realising he had ignored the baby

"mess mess!" Vince said, his hands shaking

"Don't worry little man" Howard said lifting a tissue from his pocket

"It'll clean up fine."

He wiped Vince's hands, lips and his little nose.

"awl clean." Vince said with a huge smile

"Yes, you are" Howard said gently tapping Vince's nose.

A small duck waddled past and Vince tried to get off the bench to see it.

"Duckshies" he squealed with delight.

"Do you want to go see the duckies?" Howard asked and for the first time ever he gave the young boy eye contact.

Vince got into his pram and watched the peaceful day zoom past his big blue eyes. When he saw the pond with all the ducks in it he laughed and grabbed his toes.

"Duckshies!" he yelled

Howard just smiled

He was getting used to dealing with Vince.

"Bed for duckshies?" Vince asked

"Bread?" Howard asked

"Yesh"

"Maybe another day" Howard said "do you know what noise a ducky makes?"

"Wack, wack, wack!" Vince said trying to make a duck with his tiny hands

"That's very good" Howard said

"Wack,wack" Vince said "Wack,Wack"


	6. Loowk!

The next day Howard looked at the calendar, just five more days of baby Vince left.

Vince was playing with a soft block by throwing it with across the room, it was more of an attack than playing.

"Hayad?" Vince said as he retrieved the block

"Yes?" Howard said smiling

"loowk!" Vince said pointing at a newspaper

Knowing Vince was far too young to read he thought he might be looking at the pictures so he went over to look. It was an advertisement. It read: Fun Play the best soft play area for babies around, the only soft play area for babies around! There were some pictures of balloons and stuff which Howard assumes is what Vince was pointing at.

"Do you want to go to the soft play area?" Howard asked

"yaya!" Vince said stroking a bit of his silky black hair.

Once they were there:

Vince ran off to explore the new area and Howard followed.

Everything was padded or soft. There was a slide, a ball pit, giant blocks, trucks and a mirror.

There weren't many other children for it was early morning on a working day.

Vince went straight over to the mirror and started playing with his hair while Howard sat down on a soft multi coloured wall. After ten minutes Howard decided to move Vince from the mirror. "Come play in the ball pit" Howard said lifting Vince away from the mirror and gently setting him into the pool of balls. Howard sat at the edge of the ball pit watching Vince chew, throw and play with the coloured plastic balls.

A little while later Howard, who was enjoying every minute of Vince's playing, felt a tap on his back, he turned around to see none other than the pathetic excuse for a life form also known as Lance Dior.

"Where's Vince?" Lance asked glancing over at the baby who was chewing on a red ball.

"Piss off." Howard said moving Vince away from Lance.

"That him?" Lance said laughing

"I said piss off" Howard said getting frustrated

"Ball licking as ever Vince eh?" Lance said laughing at what he thought was his own brilliance

"Leave him alone" Howard said feeling like a child a bit himself

Lance snatched the ball out of Vince's hand and threw it away.

"Just you wait" Lance said as he walked off

Vince started crying because Lance had scared him.

"sc..sc..scawey" Vince said the tears flowing down his cheeks.

Howard lifted the boy into his arms and cuddled him.

"He won't touch one of the precious hairs on your head" Howard said cuddling Vince

Vince looked up at Howard with love in his eyes

"Da da!" he said


	7. Vincey Vincey Vincey

Howard froze. What could he say? He knew he wasn't Vince's real dad. He didn't know Vince's real dad and come to think of it Vince didn't know his real dad.

"Hayad?" Vince asked wondering if Howard was alright

"yes Vince?" Howard said trying to change the subject

"Hayad da da?" Vince said not wanting to change the subject without knowing the answer

Howard thought for a moment, should he lie to the child or tell the truth and wait for question bombardment.

Howard took a deep breath.

"Sorry Vince but... I'm not your dad." He said waiting for the boy's reaction

Tears welled up in Vince's eyes, his little brain was confused. How could this man who has looked after him for as long as he remembers not be his dad?

"Dat's okay" Vince said rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

"Sorry Vince but I'm like your dad." Howard said almost crying himself

"Me 'ave no dad a den?" Vince said pushing himself off of Howards knees and into the ball pit.

"Your dad died, a long time ago." Howard said, he knew he was making it up but he didn't want to keep the subject.

"okay" Vince said throwing a ball at the net

Vince scrabbled through the balls over to the edge of the pit and looked over to the cafe area which wasn't far away.

He saw Lance. Lance saw him. Vince lifted a plastic ball. Lance lifted an orange.

"Ish on" Vince said under his breath

Vince threw the ball but being one year old it didn't travel very far.

Lance threw the orange, it hit Vince and Vince fell backwards into the ball pit.

Vince burst into tears, Lance burst into laughter.

Vince stopped crying and scrabbled over to Howard.

"Hayad, Lance!" Vince said pointing to the twat who was now sitting down laughing.

Howard stood up and looked over at Lance. He mouthed a swear word and started walking towards the pathetic twat.

Lance ran out of the building and probably home to his mother.

Howard walked back to Vince who was practising his throwing skills.

"Lance is gone you know." Howard said

"Home now?" Vince asked

"Come on then" Howard said lifting Vince into his pram.

Once they got home Vince's little eyes were having trouble to stay open.

"Vince, stay awake, you need something to eat." Howard said

"shleepy." Vince said

"So am I but its nine pm now so have something small then we'll both go to sleep" he said letting Vince out of the buggy.

Vince crawled onto the sofa and looked at the tv remote longing for it to turn itself on.

Howard quickly mashed some banana in a bowl, sat down and handed Vince the mush.

Vince ate it quietly since he was tired. At one point his head nearly landed in his food.

When he had finished Howard wiped his mouth.

Howard changed Vince's nappy, the only job he still loathed doing.

Vince's pyjamas were white with silver zebra patterns on them and little fluffy booties for crawling about in.

Howard set Vince in his pile of cushions and gently put his blanket over the baby.

"Night Vincey" Howard said smiling at the word "Vincey" then Howard kissed Vince on the cheek.

Howard was so tired from being kept up by Vince that he went straight to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

At three in the morning Vince woke up. He looked around but all he saw was black. After his eyes adjusted he saw a little more, like shadows almost.

He sat silent and listened to the silence for a while. Suddenly he heard a fox howling in the night and after a little moment other foxes howled back sort of saying that the first one was protected and safe.

Vince crawled out of his room and was about to enter Howard's room when he heard a noise. It sounded like someone coming up the stairs. Vince crawled back to the stairs.

"Vincey Vincey Vincey" a voice came from the stairs

The voice sounded like a mixture of the devil and Steve from Tesco.

"Stupid little Vince, thinking he is so perfect, cute and great." The voice said again

"Hayad?" Vince said quietly

"No, Vince" the voice snarled

"who den?" he said every bone in Vince's little body shook

"your worst nightmare!" the voice whispered


	8. I wuv you

Vince started to crawl away from the stairs but a shadowy hand lifted him easily.

Vince howled to try to call the fox; he knew he could talk to animals.

"Shut up Vince." The shadow said

Vince howled again but it was still too quiet.

"Do that one more time and I swear I'll kill you" the shadow threatened.

Vince took a deep breath, should he try again?

"You better not" the shadow warned

Vince got ready to howl

The shadow stood on his toes; the baby let out an ear piercing howl that was thankfully was heard by the fox. The fox climbed into the flat. Vince barked at the fox not knowing he could talk to animals or that the fox knew what he said

The fox growled at the shadow.

The moon shone through the window, the light shone on the shadow revealing it to be none other than Lance Dior the pathetic little twat.

"Lance!" Vince said shocked

"Vince, come with me or you'll be in big trouble." Lance lied

Vince whimpered not to get the foxes attention but because of fear.

The fox sat on the wooden floor just watching, whenever Lance came near.

Lance lifted Vince and started to walk down stairs. Once he got downstairs the fox legged it down after him.

The fox pounced and bit Lance's bum.

Lance dropped Vince in shock. Vince landed on the floor with a _**thud**_

Vince started crying because the fall had hurt him.

Howard woke up because of the noise; he threw himself out of bed.

Vince was almost screaming in pain, it wasn't that big of a fall but he is one.

He ran downstairs and saw Lance running trying to get the fox off.

Howard lifted the first thing that came to hand, which was an umbrella.

He wacked Lance in the middle of the legs, Lance's legs buckled and he fell to the floor.

The fox let go and ran out into the night barking.

Howard got the umbrella and beat him out of the shop.

Lance ran out into the night and about five foxes chased him far away.

Howard rushed back into the shop were Vince was still on the floor not crying out loud but whimpering.

Howard lifted Vince.

"Don't worry Vince, now let's go back to sleep." He said as he carried Vince upstairs and into Howard's room.

"Hayad's room?" Vince asked

"Yes, I want to keep you safe." Howard said

"okay." Vince said

Howard and Vince settled down.

"Hayad?" Vince said quietly his eyes starting to close

"Yes Vincey?" Howard said

"Hayad, I wuv you." Vince said

"I love you too." Howard said as they drifted off into a deep sleep until noon


	9. One step at a time

Once they eventually woke up Vince had forgotten all about what had happened last night.

"I have to work today Vincey." Howard said smiling; he still loved calling him Vincey.

"Hot I do?" Vince said

"What could you do?" Howard said to himself "Oh I know"

Howard walked over to the door and changed the open sign to closed.

"I suppose I could take the day off." Howard said picking Vince up

Vince giggled and kicked his legs about a bit.

"Hayad pway wif blocks?" Vince asked handing Howard a foam block that had originally been in the attic the stop leaks.

"The blocks coming to get you!" Howard said moving the block around as if it were alive

Vince giggled as the block attacked him. Then Howard started tickling him.

Vince was laughing so hard that he had forgotten everything else in the world.

Howard had forgotten all his worries but he always did when he was playing with Vince.

Howard sat back up onto the sofa.

"Hayad?" Vince said

"Yes Vince?" Howard said looking down

"Vince wawk?" Vince said

"Can you walk?" Howard said

"Me no know." Vince said

"Come here." Howard said

Vince crawled over to Howard and sat at his feet. Howard held Vince's hands and pulled Vince up onto his feet. Vince was standing now, with Howards support.

"Now when I let go you stay standing." Howard said

"Yesh Hayad." Vince said nodding his head gently

" Three...two...one..." Howard gently let go of Vince's hands.

Vince didn't fall over he stayed standing.

He started clapping his hands.

"Me dowin it!" He squealed in delight

"Well done Vince." Howard said beaming with joy.

"What next?" Vince asked

"Put one foot in front of the other and keep doing it." Howard said trying to describe walking in the best possible way,

Vince slowly put one little foot forward and took a tiny step, then another and another but after three he fell over.

"Wow, well done Vince." Howard said rushing over, picking the baby up and giving him a giant hug.

"Vince goowd bowy!" Vince said clapping his hands again.

"Very good." Howard said still hugging.

"Me twy 'gain." Vince said eagerly.

"Be careful." Howard said setting Vince down

This time Vince stood up all by himself.

He started walking again. This time he did six steps before landing on his bottom.

"Vince, you're amazing!" Howard said thrilled

"tat's cwute!" Vince said

"That's what?" Howard said

"Coot!" Vince changed it so maybe Howard would understand him

"Oh, cute!" Howard said

"Yesh, cwute, vewy cwute." Vince said with a big smile


	10. Bwead?

Vince looked at Howard waiting for him to say something. Howard looked back at Vince waiting for him to demand something. He looked into Vince's baby blue eyes; they always seemed to glisten in the sun or moon light. Neither of them said anything they just looked into each other's eyes.

"They are beautiful, totally flawless and adorable." Howard thought looking at Vince's eyes

"vewy small." Vince thought to himself "like a chickwen"

Howard opened his mouth as if to say something but no words came out.

He thought of what he was going to say but just as he went to say it Vince interrupted

"Duckshies?" Vince asked

"Come on then" Howard said lifting some bread.

Vince took a couple of steps towards Howard but then fell so he crawled the rest of the way.

Once they got to the park:

Howard pushed Vince in his buggy to the pond then let him out.

Vince sat on a blanket with some bread in his hands.

Vince took a bite of the bread and chewed it up

"No,no Vince, that's for the ducks" Howard said taking it out of Vince's hands.

"Watch." Howard said as he demonstrated how to throw the bread to the ducks.

"Wack, wack" Vince said clapping his hands.

"here you go." Howard said handing Vince a slice of bread

Vince threw the whole slice at the ducks. The ducks swam over and tried to eat the slice but it was too big so they swam off.

"Duckshies no lyke bwead." Vince said pouting

"They do, you just have to break the bread up." Howard explained showing Vince again.

Vince tried and succeeded the ducks swam up and ate the bread.

A huge smile beamed across Vince's little face.

After a little while Vince got bored. "Shwings?" Vince asked

"No Vince we are going shopping now." Howard said lifting Vince

"cwothes showping?" Vince asked

"No, food shopping." Howard said

Vince started to cry.

"No, no, no!" Vince screamed

"Now Vince, you had your fun now we have to do work!" Howard said sternly

"Oh, no, no, no." Vince whimpered quietly


	11. Lance! Eviwl Lance!

Vince and Howard arrived at the supermarket.

"No, no, no!" Vince was still saying

"Behave yourself" Howard said looking embarrassed since Vince was causing such a noise.

Howard sat Vince into the seat of the trolley.

"I'm high!" Vince yelled pointing to the ground and then the sky.

"Well, that hasn't changed" Howard said rolling his eyes.

Howard pushed the trolley into the first isle containing fruit and vegetables.

"What fruit do you like Vince?" Howard asked

"Sweeties!" Vince yelled clapping his hands manically

"I said fruit, not fruit pastels." Howard said sighing

"Fwuit pastewls!" Vince yelled.

"Do you like apples?" Howard said trying to change the subject

"No, no, no!" Vince yelled again

"Bananas?" Howard pleaded

"YES!" Vince screeched

Howard lifted the bananas, chucked them into the trolley and hurried down into the next isle.

"Baby food." Howard said perking up

Howard went to all the healthy stuff like carrots or pears.

"Yuck!" Vince said screwing up his face

"Oh fine!" Howard said scooting down to the custard and bananas.

"Custawd and nanas!" Vince said pointing

"I know the drill." Howard said

" No dwill, me wants nanas." Vince said confused.

"I know" Howard said nodding his head

On his way to the checkout Howard and Vince passed the clothes isle.

"Fashun! Hapwy pwace!" Vince yelled trying to throw himself out of the trolley.

"Vince, behave!" Howard yelled.

The man at the checkout looked awfully familiar but Howard couldn't name him.

"Lance! Eviwl Lance!" Vince yelled in tears

He looked at Vince, snarled and looked away.

"Sorry." Howard apologised to the man "He thinks you are someone else"

"Well I guessed that didn't I?" The man snapped

Howard quickly packed his stuff and left.

In the car Howard had a quick word with Vince.

"You can't call strangers evil!" Howard scolded

"It was Lance, eviwl Lance!" Vince screeched jumping up and down.

"Anyway, don't do it again." Howard sighed.

They drove home in complete silence.

xxx


End file.
